Chapter 4: What Really Matters in Planning Student Success?

This chapter made the importance of being teachers of both curriculum and students unmistakably clear. Neither of these two important elements can be less important than the other. Both are needed for students' success. We need to know our students, their lives, learning styles, and interests, and how to make the major point of the curriculum reach them where they are. Keeping all this in mind on a daily basis is what will make me a better teacher. This affects me as a teacher by letting me know that perfection is not what is required because that is impossible. Persistence and perseverance to make today better than yesterday is the goal. This will affect my students in a positive way because they will notice that I am trying to meet their individual needs and that I care enough about them to go the extra mile. I hope that gives them the motivation to learn for themselves.